


Kingdoms Pale

by Fericita, TheSpasticFantastic



Series: When All Is Lost [30]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: But Henrik fluff, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:01:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24663526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fericita/pseuds/Fericita, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSpasticFantastic/pseuds/TheSpasticFantastic
Summary: Following Elsa's first Yule Bell, Iduna and Agnarr host their friends for a small celebration.
Relationships: Agnarr & Iduna (Disney), Agnarr/Iduna (Disney)
Series: When All Is Lost [30]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1571230
Comments: 11
Kudos: 14





	Kingdoms Pale

**Author's Note:**

  * For [E12](https://archiveofourown.org/users/E12/gifts).



> Fericita and I wrote this for E12 who caught a pretty big mistake we made in one of our stories. Per E12's request, an Agduna and Friends tale about Elsa's first Yule Bell/first Birthday. We hope you enjoy it!

“Were the little bells Iddy’s idea then, Ag?” Henrik asked as he bounced Elsa against his shoulder. She squealed in delight and grabbed his ear. He winced. “With the engraved snowflake? Very fitting for Yule time.”

“No,” Agnarr replied as he pulled off his boots then reached out to take his daughter. “It was mine. Iduna still has the one I gave her from when we first met. I thought it would be a nice surprise to have some made to commemorate Elsa’s birthday. You know, aside from the party. We’ll have little gifts there too.” He placed Elsa on the ground and she began crawling towards Sasha who was busy smacking a wooden horse against the rug.

“Very thoughtful, Ag,” Elias said as he handed Henrik a glass of whiskey. “And let me know if you still think it’s a good idea in a few weeks when the little ones are still ringing the things nonstop.” Agnarr laughed and looked up at the shelf where they had hidden the bells from the girls.

“How are things going north of the city?” He asked Henrik as he settled into an armchair. He cast a quick glance at the girls, but they were merely sitting next to one another, examining the toys scattered between them. Far enough from the fire where they were in no immediate danger, but close enough where any frost on the rug should melt before Henrik or Elias noticed.

“They’re going fine, Ag. We’ve acquired three more large lakes that are perfect for ice harvesting.” Henrik nodded towards Sasha and Elsa. “And you don’t have to watch them like a mother hen. They’re too young to get into any trouble.”

“You’d be surprised,” Elias said and sipped his drink. “Children move quickly. Besides, we should also be celebrating the Princess’ good health after her sickness this summer.” He raised his glass towards Agnarr and Henrik did the same.

“Good point,” Henrik conceded. “I wasn’t here, but Iddy sounded worried in her letters. Truly, Ag, I’m glad she’s in good health. But you’re still a mother hen.”

“Yes, well, I’ll let you explain to Iduna if she gets so much as a scratch while she’s under our care, shall I?” Agnarr chuckled at Henrik’s panicked expression.

“No need for that,” he said hastily. “I’m sure we can manage while the ladies make a cake.”

* * * * *

“It was kind of you to give the staff the rest of the day off, Iduna,” Thea said as she folded her hands in her lap. Iduna smiled as she sifted the four into a mixing bowl. Elias’ wife looked rather nervous and out of place in the large kitchen. Greet and Maddie, on the other hand, were happily grabbing ingredients and wielding knives with alarming enthusiasm. 

“It’s an important day for family. They should be with them, not here. Besides, they’ve been working very hard to prepare for Elsa’s birthday celebrations next week. They need a break.”

“They also won’t let Iddy down here now that she’s ‘The Queen’.” Maddie winked at her and Iduna grinned. “Sending them home was the only way she could get to bake a cake herself. And thank you for inviting us to this smaller party for the Princess.”

“Remember when we snuck into Visser’s that one time to use his oven for Nora’s birthday cake?” Greet chuckled while grating an orange peel. “I still can’t believe he slept through that.”

“I still can’t believe you didn’t get me fired.”

“Oh, like it wasn’t your idea in the first place.”

“Are you sure the girls will be alright with the men?” Thea bit her lip and glanced at the door. “Elias doesn’t usually watch Sasha on his own.”

“Don’t worry,” Iduna reassured her. “I’ve left Elsa with Agnarr while he’s working a few times and he’s never let her anything happen to her.”

“Henrik is also strangely good with young children,” Greet added. They all looked at her and she shrugged. “What? He is. They like him. Babies, toddlers, small children. They just take to him. Probably because he’s an overgrown child himself.”

“Can’t fault that logic,” Maddie muttered as Thea laughed.

* * * * *

“Here, just rub some whiskey on the gum,” Henrik said as he bounced Sasha on his knee. “That’ll help with the pain.” Elias watched in such awe as Henrik calmed his daughter that Agnarr had to laugh. Elias rolled his eyes and frowned at him.

“What? And you know exactly how to calm Elsa when she’s teething, do you?”

“Alright, I didn’t mean anything by it.” Agnarr held his tongue. Iduna had been the one to notice that Elsa was sucking her fingers furiously in the days before her first tooth had cut through. They figured the cold soothed the pain. “Just a little surprised that Henrik can handle it.”

“My mother said she used to do this with me.” Henrik laughed and then sighed. “She’s stopped subtly hinting that it’s time for me to get married and have children and started to outright order me.” He stopped bouncing Sasha for a moment so he could scoop up Elsa as well. The girls giggled as he bobbled them on his knees. “I have you two to thank for that. She sees you both as fathers and has gotten it into her head that I ought to be one too.”

“No fear there, then,” Elias said. “You’d have to get married first.”

“She’s got someone in mind,” Henrik sighed. “Mother has done business with her father. They both have interests in England.”

“Really? You haven’t mentioned anything in your letters.” Agnarr raised an eyebrow.

“This isn’t the first time that mother has made noise.” Henrik frowned. Elsa turned, cooed and touched his face and he smiled again and stuck his tongue out at her. She squealed in delight and Sasha clapped her hands. “There have been other prospects over the past few years. It just wouldn’t be right, you know? I’m not really the marrying kind. It wouldn’t be fair to her.”

“You never know,” Elias said uneasily. “You might want to settle down some day.”

“Hmph. I doubt it.” He nodded at Agnarr. “He’s the man who needs a family, not I.”

“Family is a blessing, Henrik.” Agnarr grinned. “Hopefully you’ll find out one day. Iduna and Elsa are the best things that ever happened to me.” 

Agnarr could remember all too well just how miserable he had been the year he had lost his father, being forced to ring the heavy bell alone in front of a crowd of equally morose people all still mourning Arendelle’s recent tragedy. How the following year, he had still been alone, but Iduna and his friends from the Academy had been in the crowd, clapping and cheering as he pulled the rope. How a few years after that, Iduna had been next to him, his wife, both of them unable to stop smiling as they rang the bell together before he wrapped his arm around her waist and they waved to the crowd. And this year, finally, placing Elsa’s tiny hands on the rope as she laughed and laughed and helped Mama and Papa ring the bell.

“Kingdoms pale in comparison.” 

* * * * *

“How are things with Ingrid, Maddie?” Iduna asked as she pulled the cake out of the oven. She frowned. It was more lopsided than she had hoped it would be, but she was out of practice. Besides, Elsa wouldn’t care what it looked like. She was a baby and it was chocolate.

“They’re good.” Maddie smiled. “We’re good. She wasn’t feeling well today, otherwise she would have come. Her father was ill last week and she was taking care of him and – well, you know. She didn’t want to get the Princess or Sasha sick too.”

“I appreciate her thoughtfulness,” Thea said. She had gathered the courage to help Greet make the vanilla icing. “It’s remarkable how little it takes for a child to fall ill. How are you finding your new house on Windmill Way?”

“It’s a little strange to have so much room. But it’s close to her father and there’s space for our wagon and horses. And the neighbors are very nice.”

“Here.” Greet reached out to take the cake from Iduna and carefully slide it from the baking mold onto a clean serving plate. “Thea, could you grab the chocolate shavings?”

“Hello, ladies,” Elias said as he stepped into the kitchen. “Just checking to see how things are coming along.” He smiled and gave Thea a kiss on her cheek.

“Your wife made the icing,” Greet said as she finished covering the cake with it.

“I only helped.” Thea blushed as Elias gave her a hug.

“Almost done?” Agnarr wandered in and walked over to Iduna. She looked at him, then at Thea, then at Elias.

“Did – did you leave the girls alone with Henrik?”

“They both fell asleep on him nearly an hour ago.” Agnarr shrugged. “We didn’t want to wake them if the cake wasn’t ready. He’s fine. Just covered in some drool.”

“Yes, but-“

“Don’t worry,” Greet said as she lifted the cake. “We can go up right now. Maddie, the candle, please?”

“Right behind you,” Maddie said as she grabbed a small white candle.

“I swear,” Thea muttered as she grabbed Elias’ arm. “If anything happened to Sasha while you were gone . . .”

Their small procession wound its way through the empty halls until they reached the sitting room where Henrik waited with the girls. Iduna was right behind Thea as she scurried in but, rather to her surprise, Henrik was calmly sitting on a chaise, watching the fire, with Sasha curled up on one side of him and Elsa on the other. He looked up as they entered and gave her a cheeky grin.

“Don’t look so shocked. I am a _champion_ at cuddling.”

“Just stop, Henrik,” Greet said wryly as she entered with the cake. She nodded at Agnarr. “Unless you want to find yourself in the dungeon.” The babies began to stir at the sound of voices and footfalls, but Henrik waved off Thea and Iduna as they reached for them.

“Alright now,” Maddie said in a soothing voice. “It’s almost time to light the candle.”

Greet put the cake down on the table near Henrik’s elbow as Maddie walked to the fire and lit the candle from the dying flames. Agnarr put his arm around Iduna and Thea put her head on Elias’s shoulder as they watched Maddie set the candle in the middle of the cake, like a snowy white tower rising out of a dark night sky. Elsa reached for it, but Henrik quickly grabbed her hand and wagged his finger at her with a wink. She giggled.

“Let’s sing, shall we? I know just the song.”

“Henrik, I don’t think any song you know would be appro-”

But before Agnarr finished the word, Henrik was singing a tune they all knew well from Hudson’s Hearth, sung on joyous occasions and send-offs, the words slightly altered but predictable enough for all of the friends to join in as Sasha and Elsa clapped and laughed.

_“For she’s a jolly good princess, for she’s a jolly good princess, for she’s a jolly good princess, and so say all of us!”_

* * * * *

Cake was served and eaten and babies were fed and cleaned, and Henrik borrowed a handkerchief to remove a particularly large dollop of vanilla frosting that had become encrusted in his hair.

“Can’t blame Sasha for that, Henrik. Anyone could mistake that pomade you use for icing, it’s so thick,” Elias shook his hand before he, Thea, and Sasha left for their home, Sasha already asleep on her mother's shoulder.

Iduna carried Elsa up to bed and Agnarr clapped Henrik on the back.

“I”ll walk you out.”

As they walked down the long hallway, it was easy to see the way the castle had changed since Henrik had last been there for Elsa’s birth. Family portraits and baby portraits lined the halls, toys and protective screens were in even the most formal of rooms.

“I’ll hope you’ll give what your mother said some thought. Families are..well, jolly good as you like to say.” Agnarr held out his hand and Henrik shook it, bowing his head as he did.

“Perhaps.” He gave his usual noncommittal shrug that he always gave when discussing his future. “As you like to say, kingdoms pale in comparison.” Henrik walked along the bridge connecting the castle to the town, and then looked back over his shoulder, raising his voice to be heard. “But, of course, she’d have to be a _very_ adventurous woman. I should probably go and scandalize my mother by giving her some more specific instructions in that regard.”

Agnarr laughed and shook his head, “Kingdoms pale in comparison indeed.” 


End file.
